Jen's Ink Spot

XOXO with Lil' Inker Designs

2012-02-02T23:01:00.032-06:00

Hi everyone!! I am back today with another card using products from the Lil' Inker Designs Bonus Goodies released in January! If you are following along in the hop, you should have arrived from Laura's blog!

Today I am using the Hamster Cupid set.

I got out my colored pencils and odorless mineral spirits which I haven't used for a loooooong time and colored the hamster. I left 2 of the hamsters white to accent the one on the bottom. The top 2 hamsters are adhered directly onto the card front and so they are below the top panel which I popped up with pop dots. The bottom hamster is popped up above the panel for some fun dimension.

If you visited my blog on Wednesday, then you saw the heart accents I made with PolyShrink film. I did the same thing for this card only I stamped a different pattern from the Flags & Tags stamp set onto the film and then die cut the heart and attached it to the card with baker's twine. Again, another fun accent that adds versatility to the Lil' Inker Designs dies!

Hopefully from this angle, you can see the dimension a little bit better.

Thank you for stopping by! To continue along on the hop, why not stop on over to the Lil' Inker Designs store and check out all the great new products!!

Supplies:

Stamps: Lil' Inker Designs Cupid Hamster

Heart Die: Lil' Inker Designs

Cardstock: Aqua Mist & Rustic Cream PTI

Other: Twinery Twine Stone, Colored Pencils, Odorless Mineral Spirits, Stickles, PolyShrink Film, Bubblegum Amuse Ink, Charcoal Palette Ink, Pop Dots, PTI Tin Types Impression Plate

Love Ya with Lil' Inker Designs

2012-01-31T23:01:00.002-06:00

Hi!! Today the Lil' Inker Design Team are sharing projects using the bonus goodies products from the last release. I have a card to share with you today and will be back again on Friday to share another one! If you are just beginning the hop at my blog, you can start at the Lil' Inker blog for the complete list of designers. If you are following along in the hop, you should have arrived here from Emily's super creative blog!

Today's card focus' on the Hearts die & stamp set.

This card is very clean and simple! I attached white on white die cuts from the Hearts die set. I love the detail on the perforated hearts!

I also stamped the pattern from the Tags & Flags stamp set onto some Poly Shrink "paper", die cut the various hearts and then heated them in the oven so that they shrunk. I attached them with baker's twine as an accent on the bow. This is such a fun and easy and versatile way to use your Lil' Inker Dies! And...can you see how adorable that perforation is on those tiny accents!! LOVE how it turned out!

I have really enjoyed working with these hearts and I know that I will pull them out often!

Your next stop on the hop is to Teresa's beautiful blog!

Supplies
Dies & Stamps: Lil' Inker Designs
Twine: The Twinery
Other: PolyShrink, Ribbon, PTI White Cardstock, PTI Hawaiian Shores Ink, Amuse Buttercup Ink

They are here!! Four New Twinery Colors!

2012-01-23T07:00:00.038-06:00

I am so excited to share that The Twinery's four new colors (and they are FAB!!) are available for purchase today!! Yippee!! I made two cards to share that features all four new colors!

With Valentine's right around the corner, I can't get enough of hearts! As I mentioned above, this card features all four new colors of twine and they coordinate very well together! Have you heard that orange is the "in" color for 2012? Well, The Twinery is right on trend with their new Cantaloupe color!

I paired this twine up with paper from Crate Paper and new dies from Lil' Inker Designs. The button is tied with the new Flax twine. While I am mentioning Flax...Oh my!! THAT one is a staple for sure! Everyone needs this one in their stamping arsenal! It is a perfect match for kraft cardstock! You might as well buy a whole spool of that one! It is a must have and will get TONS of use!

My last card is a sweet little baby card for a boy. The new "Shore" color is a perfect baby boy color!

I used the twine very simply as an accent to the card. Doesn't it match this Papertrey Ink Spring Rain cardstock PERFECTLY!? LOVE it!!

Ahhh, yes, you may have several different colors of twine already, but isn't it great to have colors to match all of your cardstock? I love products that coordinate!

Here are all of my new spools! Sigh. Aren't they pretty? The light blue is called "Shore" and is the PERFECT color for skies and for baby boy themes, etc as I mentioned above. The light purple is gorgeous and is called "Orchid". I love, love the shade of this one! And I also already mentioned the kraft colored one is called "Flax" and the light orange is called "Cantaloupe". They are in the store now!! Go shop!! :)

Thank you for stopping by today! Let me know what you think of the new colors!! I'd love to hear your feedback!! Are you going to order? :)

Supplies
Twine: The Twinery
Dies: Of the Heart by Lil' Inker Designs
Stamps: Verve Making a Statement
Paper: Crate Paper Restoration, PTI Kraft & White
Ink: Wisteria Chalk Ink by Colorbox, Snow White by PTI
Other: Summer Sunrise Button PTI, Pop Dots, Take 3 Die by PTI

Baby Boy Card
Twine: Shore by The Twinery
Paper: Spring Rain & Rustic White Papertrey Ink, Stella & Rose Hazel by My Mind's Eye
Stamps: PTI Sweet Baby, Daydreamer (grass), Bitty Baby Blessings, Argyle, Polka Dot Basics
Ink: PTI Spring Rain, True Black; Amuse Lichen; VersaMark Champagne
Other: Tiny heart die by PTI, Sweet Baby Die, Fiskars Apron Lace Border Punch, Spring Rain Button PTI

Lil' Inker Designs Release: Head Over Heels (Bonus Day!)

2012-01-19T23:01:00.010-06:00

Welcome back to the last day of the January new releases for Lil' Inker Designs! Today Laura is reviewing what has been introduced this week and we are also sharing a few more projects using BONUS goods that are being released today as well...just in time for Valentines! These are all mini sets. You should have come from Teresa's beautiful blog if you are following the hop!

Hamster Cupid is a mini set. With the focal image at approximately 2" x 2.5", not only is he cute but he's quick and easy to color.

Of the Heart Die & Stamp Set

Did you notice that these hearts have the trademark LID perforated detail around the edges!? YES!! So cute!! I LOVE the arrow!! I think that those 2 details make this set not only a must have but it also makes it stand out from other heart dies on the market! And that font in the stamp set...so cute!

I used all of these products on my first card.

When I saw this image I thought it looked like this sweet little Hamster cupid could be hanging upside down which made me think of "Head over Heels in Love!"...how perfect for Valentines or a love card!

Please don't judge me too much on my coloring...I need so much practice! :) Especially need to learn how to stay in the lines, lol! Anyway, I made a window for the little guy and then colored him. That little sentiment is from the Of the Heart stamp set. It has the cutest little sayings in it in the cutest font!

I think you'll be seeing these hearts and that arrow a lot! Can you image how many ways you will be able to use that arrow! It goes way beyond Valentine's day for sure! Also, if you look closely you will see one of the newest colors of twine by The Twinery called Flax. It is a kraft color and matches perfectly with all of my kraft supplies. Love it! It will be available soon!!

I had time this evening to sneak one more card in to share with you.

For this card I used one of the heart dies and the arrow to make an embossed image on my card front.

This is what I used to make it. I just cut the heart and arrow out of thin chipboard and then adhered it how I wanted it on an A2 sized piece of cardstock (this way I could emboss it directly onto a card front if I wanted and it would be easy to line up). I cut my arrow so it would fit around the heart and then ran it through my Big Shot machine using embossing mats and added a couple extra pieces of cardstock on top for a shim.

Then, I cut it down to size and gently sanded the impression to get the heart to pop out (you must use cardstock with a white core to get this look). I took a note from my fellow designer and friend Emily and cut the tag from the new Flags & Tags set down to add a fun border on the bottom of the heart piece. One more way to add versatility to these cool Lil' Inker dies!! I framed the heart piece with buttons and the new flax twine from The Twinery.

Thank you so much for joining us all week long!! Don't forget to leave comments on the blogs along the hop so that you can be eligible for the prizes up for grabs this week! You can find out all the details about the giveaway on the Lil' Inker Designs blog! Your next stop on this hop is over to one of my favorite designers ever Amy Kolling! I can't wait to see what she has put together!

All the products that you've seen featured here this week are available for purchase now in the Lil' Inker Designs store, so be sure to stop by and pick up yours!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lil' Inker Designs Release: Cutie Cat

2012-01-18T23:01:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Day 4 of the Lil' Inker Designs release! If you are following the blog hop, you should have come from my friend Amy Kolling's blog!

Today I am featuring the 2nd of two sets being released from the 2 Cute Ink line called "Cutie Cat".

Here is my card.

Awwww! I'm not a "cat" person, have to say I've never owned a cat but THIS cat is super cute!! :) This is the best way for me and my-allergic-to-cats family to "have" a cat!! :)

I did very minimal coloring on this card. In fact the only coloring was to outline the cat, add some pink highlights and color the flowers. So easy. I pulled out my much-addicted-to large Flag die that Lil' Inker Designs also released this week to mat my image on. I cut a small piece of Plum Pudding cardstock with it and layered that under the pink striped flag. I love how this looks! I added some stone twine by The Twinery to accent the flag as well.

Thanks for joining me today! Your next stop on the hop is to Jen del Muro's blog! These items are available for purchase now, so head on over to the Lil' Inkder Designs store to check them out!

Also, be sure to leave a comment on my post for a chance to win one of 2 prizes up for grabs this week...a $10 gift certificate to the Lil' Inker store or both of the new 2 Cute Ink stamp sets! Tomorrow there will be bonus good released and I'll have a card to share featuring those cute products as well! All the details will be revealed on the Lil' Inker Designs blog tomorrow!

Lil' Inker Release: Sweet Bee

2012-01-17T23:01:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Day 3 of the Lil' Inker Designs January Release! I hope you've been enjoying what you've seen so far! Wasn't the Flags & Tags set great!? If you are following along on the hop you should have come from Amy Kolling's fabulous blog!

Today the design team is showing projects using two new sets from the 2 Cute Ink line! I am working with the Sweet Bee stamp set which is available for purchase at the Lil' Inker store today!

Isn't she cute?

I went with a "traditional" yellow bee but put a spin on her stripes. Of course this sweet little bee is perfect for Valentine's Day but she is also so cute for cards in general to those you care about and the "Just Bee-cuzzz" sentiment is perfect for those "everyday" occasions.

I paper pieced her stripes and the heart and also added rhinestones on her antennas and hair bow.

I used the double ended flag that was showcased earlier this week from the Flags & Tags set and scored several lines, folded them and made sort of a ruffly banner for the sentiment. It is one more way to make those dies even more versatile and give them a new look! I also used the full sized flag from that same die set to layer everything on top of.

I also created a mini card using the flower grouping that is included in this set.

If you like to create quick and simple cards then this 3 x 3 card fits in that category! I stamped the flowers and then colored them with my glitter pens. Love those pens and I just don't get them out enough!

Can you see how cool they look all glittered up?

I also did another little trick with the banner on this card similar to the one on the bee card. This time I only scored the double ended flag twice and folded and then put a little dimension behind the flag to make it slightly curved. One more way to change up the look of the double ended flag.

Thank you so much for stopping by today! There are prizes up for grabs so be sure to leave a comment on this post and the other blogs along the way to be eligible to win one of 2 prizes...a $10 gift certificate to the Lil' Inker store or the two new 2 Cute Ink sets being released this week! I'll be back with another post tomorrow showcasing the other set being released! Also on Friday there will be some bonus goodies released that are so cute and fun!

Your next stop on the hop is to Jen del Muro's fun and fabulous blog!

Supplies
Stamp Set & Dies: Sweet Bee, Flags & Tags Stamp set & dies
Paper: Love Me by My Mind's Eye; PTI Lavender Moon, Rustic White & Scarlet Jewel
Other: Rhinestones, Copics & Pop Dots, Square Nestabilities, Linen/Canvas Impression Plate PTI

Lil' Inker Designs Release: Flags & Tags

2012-01-15T23:01:00.003-06:00

Welcome to the January Release for Lil' Inker Designs!! We have a full week of reveals for you! And as a bonus, we will also be releasing a set of adorable items with a Valentine's Day theme at the end of our hop this week that you won't want to miss! If you are hoping along, you should have come from Emily's blog!

I am so excited to share today's products with you! I am in love with this new stamp set and the set of dies that match!! LOVE!!

So, without further ado, meet Flags & Tags!

The large flag die in this set is very unique! It has an open center but the back side of the die is covered with a piece of plastic. This gives the die extra stability but also makes it super easy to pop out the cardstock pieces that you die cut with it! Very smart design!

I can't wait to show you these sets in action! I had such a great time making projects with these sets that I had a hard time deciding which ones to share today! This set is so versatile and can be used for so many things!

First up is a birthday set!

I decorated a large glassine bag with the large flag that is in the die set. I LOVE this flag die...LOVE!! As the graphic above shows, it measures 2 1/2" wide by 5 1/2" long.

I attached the tag & double ended banner dies that are included with the die set to the top of the large flag and stamped the "Birthday Wishes" sentiment that is included in the stamp set. The sentiments in this set are awesome!! I really adore the font! The tag on this bag was cut with patterned paper. It is so fun to use this die with or without the coordinating stamp set.

I love how you can layer with this flag die too! It really changes up the look! I cut just the pointed tip of the flag with two pieces of patterned paper. If I tried to do this without a die, it would have been much more difficult to match up the sides and points evenly...have I mentioned how much I LOVE this die? How easy it makes it to create this look? Heehee!!

Here is what you'll find inside the glassine bag...a set of altered mini-clothespins.

I created a "card" for the clothespins to attach to and then decorated the top of the card with the tag & double ended flag dies.

These are mini sized clothespins. I cut strips of patterned paper, attached them to the clothespin with my ATG Gun adhesive and then sanded the edges. I think that they make a super cute gift!

Now, how about the same idea but with a more girly Valentine's Day theme?

This is the basic layout as the birthday bag but using a much different color scheme.

For the tag on this bag, I die cut it with pink cardstock and then stamped one of the coordinating images from the stamp set on to it. I LOVE, LOVE how this turned out! I often forget to stamp images on colored cardstock, but what a fun look it gives! I also love the options included in this stamp set for the tag! The gorgeous sentiment is also included in the Flags & Tags set. The little hearts on the double ended banner are from a set that will be released later this week.

Inside you will find another set of clothespins. These were found in the dollar section of Michaels and are perfect for a Valentine's gift!

For this flag I wanted to show how you could use these dies with other Lil' Inker sentiments that you may already have. The "my friend" is from the Rainbows & Clouds stamp set. It is a perfect fit!

I also wanted to share a card I made using this set.

This is a mini sized card. It measures 4 1/4" x 4 1/2". For this card I impressed the die cut into the card front (much like embossing, but the opposite).

Then after I had the tag impressed on the card I stamped the image inside the tag shape with another one of the stamp tag options. This image would be great for masculine cards too! I created a banner to layer on top and then tied it all together with Twinery twine and a shiny heart button.

Thank you so much for visiting today! I hope you are as excited about these new products as I am! Hurry on over to the Lil' Inker Design store to place your order! These products are available today!

Also, be sure to leave a comment on my blog and the blogs along the way to be eligible to win a prize! Your next stop on the hop is Jen del Muro! You're going to love what she has created for you today!

Supplies:
Birthday & Valentines Day Bags
Stamps & Dies: Flags & Tags Lil' Inker Designs
Patterned Paper: Happy Day by Simple Stories & Love by Fancy Pants Designs
Cardstock: PTI Ocean Tides & Sweet Blush

Love Card
Stamps & Dies: Flags & Tags Lil' Inker Designs
Paper: Sweet Blush Cardstock PTI
Ink: Charcoal Palette
Twine: The Twinery

Last Wee Memories Challenge: Sketch

2012-01-14T07:00:00.023-06:00

Welcome to this week's Wee Memories Challenge! There was a last minute change and this will be the last week for the Wee Memories Challenge. It'll be so sad to see this challenge go! Jenny and the design team has done a wonderful job with it!

For this last week we have a fun sketch to work with!

There are also prizes up for grabs from our sponsors There She Goes Clear Stamps, The Twinery & May Arts!

And here is my card based on this sketch.

This card features the Make a Wish set by There She Goes. This is a fun set with lots of presents, cupcakes, cakes and sentiments. I used some Caribbean & Maraschino Twinery twine on top of the ribbon for accent.

Thanks for visiting today! I hope that you'll play along! You can find all of the information and the prizes up for grabs by visiting the Wee Memories blog! I'd also like to thank the Wee Memories Design Team for allowing me the opportunity to be a guest designer during these last challenges! It was a lot of fun and I appreciate the chance to play along!

Supplies

Stamps: Make a Wish by There She Goes

Twine: Caribbean & Maraschino Twinery Twine

Paper: Happy Days by Echo Park Paper, Hawaiian Shores & White by PTI

Other: Nestabilities Die, Aqua Mist Ribbon PTI, Fiskars Border Punch, Pop Dots, copics

Twinery Design Team 2012

2012-01-13T07:00:00.001-06:00

I am so excited to announced that I have been asked to return for another term on The Twinery's Design Team! I am thrilled to have this honor and I get to share it with 22 fabulous designers!

The first half of the team was announced yesterday. You can see the complete list by visiting The Twinery's blog. The second half of the team is listed below! You can help us welcome them by stopping by their blogs and saying hi! Also, in true Twinery style, there is a prize up for grabs! Be sure to stop by The Twinery blog to find out how to be entered into the drawing for a chance to win an Ultimate Sampler Pack!

Also, did you see the announcement that FOUR new colors of twine will be available at the end of January!? Yippee!!

I decided that for today's post I would share a few of my favorite projects featuring twine from The Twinery that I've created over the past year. I've included a link to the original post below the photo if you would like to see more information on how I put each project together.

Swirled Twine Flowers

Christmas Table Setting

Acorn Gift Set

Autumn Leaf Card

Birthday Message in a Bottle

Decoupaged Pumpkins

Joy to Me Card

Lawn Mowing Card

Thank you for taking this trip down memory lane with me! I hope you enjoyed the cards & projects I picked out!

Now why don't you stop by and see what the rest of today's team has to share with you!!

Sarah Andreotti

Angi Barrs

Ashley Bores

Jen Carter (returning as a 2nd term designer) That's me!!

Jamie Cripps

Katarina Damm-Blomberg

Lil' Inker Designs New Release Coming Soon!

2012-01-12T15:13:00.000-06:00

I can't wait to share projects with you using these new sets from Lil' Inker Designs!! You won't want to miss this! Come back on Monday, January 16th to see for yourself! In the meantime, keep a look out on the Lil' Inker Designs blog to see if you spy any sneak peeks!

Wee Memories Challenge #82: Mini Cards

2012-01-07T07:00:00.039-06:00

Welcome to another challenge for Wee Memories where I have the privilege of guest designing this month. If you didn't see Jenny's announcement earlier in the week, you might want to take a peek here as this month will be the last month for the Scrappy Saturday Challenges. :( So be sure to play along!

The sponsor for this week is My Favorite Things.

This was a fun theme this week and it is hosted by my dear friend Amy Kolling! We were to make mini sized cards. Mine are all 3x3 and I made a set of 5.

I tried to stick with a consistent color scheme and also with the pockets being front and center on each card.

This is probably my favorite of the group. I love this little snowman peeking out of the pocket! It looks like he is surprising someone with a special delivery.

Here are the other cards in the set.

I love that with minimal work I now have a set of cards on hand that are the perfect size to attach to a gift!

I hope that you will play along with this challenge. Check out the challenge post for all of the information and be sure to link your cards up this week!

Supplies
Stamps: WPlus9 A Pocketful, PTI Made of Snow Mini & Tiny Tags & Stitches & Swirls, Verve Happy Hello
Paper: Crate Paper Paper Heart, PTI Rustic White, Sweet Blush, Aqua Mist, Melon Berry, Pure Poppy
Ink: Charcoal Palette, PTI: True Black & Melon Berry, Aqua Mist, Amuse: Buttercup, Fern, Currant
Dies: WPlus9 A Pocketful & Love Notes, PTI Made of Snow Mini & Rosie Posie, Verve Hearts
Other: Pom Pom, Spica Glitter Pen, Pop Dots

Just a Bright Note

2012-01-03T06:01:00.010-06:00

Hi everyone!! I have a very "Jennifer" card to share with you today! I say "Jennifer" because it has some of my most favorite colors in it and they are BRIGHT, which if you follow my blog regularly, you know how much I like bright colors!

How fun is this background? It is from Market Street Stamps and is one of their newer backgrounds that I won. I am secretly wishing for a little hexagon shaped stamp that will stamp a solid image perfectly inside those honeycombs...but for now, for this card I got out my dusty colored pencils and put them to work. I, of course, chose the brightest colors I could find! :)

There are so many different ways to use this background, it is fun just thinking of all the possibilities! The twine, of course, is from The Twinery and is one of my all time favorite colors, Pink Sorbet!

I am entering this card into CAS-ual Friday's challenge to use kraft & twine and also into the Market Street Stamp Block Party challenge.

Thank you for stopping by!! I hope you have a fabulous day!

Supplies:

Stamps: MSS Honeycomb, Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler

Die: Happy Day PTI

Twine: Twinery Pink Sorbet

Ink: PTI Hawaiian Shores, Memento Black

Other: Colored Pencils, Pop Dots

Two Hearts

2012-01-02T06:01:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year!! Where did the year go so quickly? I can't believe we are into 2012 already!

To start the year off, I have a card for the CAS-ual Friday's new challenge to use kraft and twine on a project.

I knew that this was a challenge that I had to play along with! You know how much I love twine and I use kraft quite a lot too!

I adore this tree stamp from the PTI Love & Marriage set. I stamped the tree on Aqua Mist cardstock using Hawaiian Shores ink. I am so happy that PTI finally came out with a good Hawaiian Shores ink! I love it...not too fond of the ink pad design but LOVE the color it stamps!

The woodgrain heart on the tree was an idea that I got from Lisa's release post here. I loved how it looked and knew I wanted to replicate that heart soon. I used a Verve heart die and then stamped on the heart with a woodgrain stamp in white ink.

The wording in the picture doesn't look like it matches up, but that is just because of the angle that I took the picture from. It looks perfect in real life.

Thanks for stopping by today!! I hope you all will have a great New Year!!

Supplies (all PTI unless noted)
Stamps: Love & Marriage, Woodgrain
Paper: Kraft, Aqua Mist
Ink: Hawaiian Shores, Pure Poppy, Snow White
Other: Twinery Twine, Lace Trim, Verve Heart Die, Corner Rounder, Pop Dots

Wee Memories #81

2011-12-31T07:00:00.001-06:00

Hello! I have some exciting news to share with you! I will be guest designing for Wee Memories Scrappy Saturday challenges the month of January! How fun!! I am so honored to be able to play along with this amazing group of ladies!

The challenge theme this week is "New"!

To kick off the new year, Wee Memories wants to see your projects featuring a new technique, new papers or new supplies, anything that is "new" to you!

I recently received an order with new supplies and so that is what I used on my card today! This is also a happy birthday card to a special friend, who is also on the Wee Memories Design Team! Happy birthday to you Amy!! I am so thankful to have you in my life!

New things I used:

New Stamps & Dies (PTI's Rosie Posie & Happy Day)

New Ink (Amuse Buttercup)

New Trim (actually I have had this for a few months but never used it!!)

New Paper: Head Over Heels by Lily Bee Designs

You have until January 6th to play along! Be sure to link your card to the Wee Memories blog and to check out the prize that is up for grabs this week!

Thanks for stopping by today! Happy NEW Year!!

Other Supplies not listed above:
Lemon Tart, Smokey Shadow & Rustic Cream cardstock: PTI, Pearls, Ink: PTI True Black

Play Date Cafe PDCC112

2011-12-26T10:40:00.000-06:00

It is so hard to believe that Christmas is over already! It seems like it went by so quickly! We all really enjoyed being together and seeing all of our family!

Today I have a card to share with you for The Play Date Cafe color challenge. This time it is sponsored by Lil' Inker Designs and the prize up for grabs is a $25 shopping spree! Pretty good prize if you ask me! You have until Tuesday, January 3rd to play along!

Here is the gorgeous inspiration photo.

And here is what I made using those colors.

This mouse image is called "Snow Mouse" and is from Lil' Inker Designs newest release. I used watercolor crayons to color the mouse. I don't know how long it has been since I pulled those out! The white showed up so well on the kraft cardstock.

I tried to make the area where her heart would be a little bit pink since the sentiment says that friendship warms her heart. It is hard to see in the photo.

If you would like to play along with this challenge, visit The Play Date Cafe's blog!

Thank you for stopping by today!

Supply list coming soon!

Christmas Scrubs

2011-12-23T06:01:00.004-06:00

Merry (almost) Christmas!! I have been working away (in between having strep throat) on Christmas gifts! I like the personal element in giving gifts and have challenged myself the last few years to find a project to make to give to friends. If you are looking for a last minute idea for teachers, Sunday School teachers or someone you want to give to but can't figure out what to do, this is a super easy and very fun project!

I made several varieties of sugar scrubs. LOVE them!! They make my hands feel so soft and smooth and I love how it exfoliates them too. It feels so good rubbing it on my hands. I hope my friends like them too!

This is the peppermint scrub (after this batch I left the scrubs white which I ended up liking even better but they sure look pretty green too).

To decorate the jars, I tied a ribbon around the lid of the jar and hung a mini ornament from it and then tied a bow. I also tied a tag (that told what the product was with simple directions) and a little spoon (to get the scrub out with and to stir it up if it seperates) onto the ribbon piece with various colors of Twinery twine. I also punched a piece of patterned paper and attached to the top of the jar.

I wrapped the Caribbean twine around the spoon for some decoration.

These are the 3 different scrubs I made. The green peppermint scrub you've seen above, then I made a peppermint foot scrub and a lemon scrub (I did change the lemon scrub after this batch to make it a little "lighter" and it also made the color a much softer yellow. I like it much better too.)

I love how easy it is to dress up the jars with my twine! When I packaged these scrubs in a group of 3, I only wanted an ornament on one of them, so on the others I used various colors of twine. I attached the tag and the spoon with the twine as well.

I did TONS of experimenting to find the scrubs that I liked the best! I thought I would share my 2 favorite recipes below that I tweaked and tweaked until I got it just right. These won't be exact because after I mixed according to the recipe I had written down I added extra of the ingredients to get the consistency to my satisfaction...a thicker formula or a thinner formula or a stronger scent.

Peppermint Sugar Scrub

3 cups white sugar

1/4 cup - 1/2 cup Kosher Salt

1 cup baby oil*

1 teaspoon Peppermint Extract

*(baby oil was the oil I preferred but you can also use olive oil or canola oil)

Mix all ingredients together. (If you want it to be green, add a drop or two of green food coloring to the mixture.) This made 4 - 5 eight ounce jars.

Lemon Sugar Scrub

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup kosher salt

Zest of 1 or 2 large lemons

1 cup oil (I used baby oil)

1/4 tsp Pure Lemon Extract

Juice from 1/2 - 1 lemon (depending on your preference)

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Add more or less extract & lemon juice based on how much scent you want your scrub to have.

These would make great hostess gifts or baby shower/bridal shower gifts too! I would love to keep a few on hand too for those times that I need a gift and have nothing at home to give.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this post! Have a very Merry Christmas!

Lil' Inker Designs New Release: Cocoa Bear

2011-12-15T23:01:00.012-06:00

Be sure to enter my Christmas giveaway here!!

Welcome back to the last post for the Lil' Inker Designs December new release blog hop!

Today we have another great image to introduce to you, Cocoa Bear! If you are following along in the hop, you should have come from the blog of Debby Hughes! If you would like to start at the beginning, visit the Lil' Inker Designs blog!

Meet Cocoa Bear!

Cute huh?

I went with a winter theme for this cute little mouse! I used the snowflakes that are a separate image in the set to fill the space on the coffee mug and I also used them in the sky. I love that there is an option like that!

I colored the image with copics and highlighted the steam and the marshmallows with my copic glitter spica pen.

I also wanted to create another card with this set using the tiny little snowman that was designed to also fit on the coffee mug.

I stamped the snowmen twice and then cut circles from my cardstock so that they were peeking through. I added stickles to the snow that they are sitting on.

This set has more great sentiments and this is another one of my favorites!

I'd love to hear what you've thought of this new release. It is new territory for Lil' Inker and we hope you fell in love with what you've seen! Be sure to leave a comment to be entered into the prize drawings that are up for grabs this week!

Your next stop on the hop is over to the super sweet blog of Emily Leiphart!

Thank you for visiting!! Be sure to stop by the Lil' Inker Designs store to see all the products that are available for sale!

Supplies

Warm Wishes

Stamps: Cocoa Bear Lil' Inker Designs, Sentiment Flags LID

Twine: The Twinery

Paper: PTI Blueberry Sky, White, DCWV Glitter Red

Coloring: Copics, Spica Clear Glitter Pen

Lil' Inker Designs New Release: Snow Mouse

2011-12-14T23:01:00.002-06:00

Hello! Welcome back to another new release post for Lil' Inker Designs! Do you like what you've seen so far? These new stamp sets are super cute! If you are following along in the blog hop, you should have come here from Teresa Kline's blog!

Today I am sharing with you another new stamp set called "Snow Mouse".

And here is the card I made with this set.

I used sort of a unique technique to color the mouse. I took a q-tip and dabbed it on my VersaMark and tea dye inks and rubbed it on the mouse. This gave him a little darker look than the cardstock. Then, I took my Pebbles Shimmer chalks, which I don't pull out often enough, and colored on top of the image with the chalks. Putting the ink down first allows the chalk to really stick to it. The chalk allowed me to shade the mouse easily and gave him lots of sparkle!

For the white snowflakes I used another q-tip and tapped it onto my white ink pad and then colored onto the cardstock with it. I love how that looks!

The skirt on the bottom of the card is made out of tulle which costs next to nothing! I gathered it using scor-tape and tucked it under my image. It adds a fun element. I also wanted to point out the cute font that these 3 new sets have. I love it!! So cute and perfect for the sets that they are included in! This sentiment happens to be my favorite of all of them! LOVE it!! So cute!!

Your next stop on the blog hop is to the fabulous blog of the super talented

Alicia Thelin !

I'll be back tomorrow with one more new set and two new cards! Thank you for stopping by! Don't forget to leave a comment on each blog allow the way to be eligible for the prize packages! And also be sure to visit the Lil' Inkers store and check out all the great products available!

Supplies
Stamps: Lil' Inker Designs Snow Mouse
Ink: PTI Snow White & True Black, Memento Black, VersaMark, PTI Tea Dye
Paper: Kraft Funday Happy Days by My Mind's Eye, PTI Kraft, Bazzill (blue)
Other: Tulle, Pebbles Shimmer Chalk, Pop Dots

Lil' Inker Designs New Release: Arctic Friends

2011-12-12T23:01:00.031-06:00

Welcome to the December release of Lil' Inker Designs!! We are thrilled to have you join us! If you are following along on the hop you should have come from Debby Hughes' blog! I am such a fan of her fabulous work!

Lil' Inker Designs (LID) is introducing a new product line this month that we think you're going to fall in love with! 2 Cute Ink is the first artist created line to be featured at Lil’ Inker Designs. Artist Heidi Schwoerer, of 2 Cute Rubber Stamps, will now exclusively release her designs at Lil’ Inker!

Are you anxious to see the first set?

Pretty cute, huh!

I went with a winter theme for this card but the great thing about this image is that it could be used year round! I colored the image with copics and then paper pieced the scarf and ice cream scoops. Of course I had to add glitter to the top of the ice cream!

I stamped the sentiment with an ice cream cone on the inside. Very, very simple but I love how the sentiment can be carried through to the inside!

Did I mention that there are prizes up for grabs?!

Two $10 store credits
1 grand prize...the entire release

To be eligible for the grand prize comments must be left on each designer's blog each day of the hop Monday - Friday.

Your next stop on the hop is the fabulous Alicia Thelin!! I always love to see what she has been up to!

Thanks again for joining us!! Be sure to check out the Lil' Inker blog each day this week for more designs! We have THREE fun sets being released this month! I'll be back with a post on Thursday & Friday.

Have a great day!!

Supplies

Stamp Sets: Lil' Inker Artic Friends

Paper: PTI Aqua Mist, White, Bazzill, Lime Twist Happy Go Lucky

Ink: Memento Black ink

Other: Copics, Embossing Folder Cuttlebug, PTI Button, DMC White Floss, Crystal Stickles

Christmas Giveaway!

2011-12-12T12:34:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! How are you!? Tonight I will have a new post up on my blog for Lil' Inker Designs! But for today, I want to share a giveaway with you!

How about a custom-made button ring from my Etsy shop, Jen's Ink Spot! You can choose any of the $11 rings (or less) from My Etsy store OR customize one in the colors you would like OR you can choose one of the adjustable resin rings I have in my store too.

Want so see some examples?

How can you win?

Easy!

1. Become a follower of my blog. You can see the follower list on the right. If it doesn't show up, you may have to refresh the screen, sometimes it will play hard to get! Leave a comment letting me know that you follow me (or have already followed me).

For extra entries:

1. Leave me a comment on this blog post.

2. Share about this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter. Leave me a comment letting me know where you shared it at!

That's it!! Very easy! The contest will stay open until Friday, December 16th at Midnight. I will announce the winner this weekend so be sure to check back to see if you were the winner!

In the meantime, if you need some unique Christmas gifts, visit my Etsy shop and check out all the different options! What a fun stocking stuffer these rings would make!

Thank you for visiting!

Rainbows & Lil' Inker News

2011-12-08T10:00:00.000-06:00

Hi!! There is exciting news to share about Lil' Inker Designs today! But first, I wanted to share a card!

I made this several months ago and it's been sitting in my folder waiting to be shared. The rainbow is from Lil' Inker Designs. Oh my! I LOVE those rainbow dies! This rainbow was made with scraps. I keep all of the my rainbow "extra" pieces in a clam shell and when I need to throw together a quick card I sort through it looking for the perfect colors and sizes. Love it!

The grid background is from Market Street Stamps. They have the best background stamps! They fit the entire card front! The sentiment, a personal favorite, is from Verve.

So...have you heard what next week is? It is a new release from Lil' Inker Designs! But, this month, LID brings you something fresh and new...

2 Cute Ink is the first artist created line to be featured at Lil’ Inker Designs! Artist Heidi Schwoerer, of 2 Cute Rubber Stamps, will now exclusively release her designs at Lil’ Inker! Lil' Inker will be releasing some of Heidi’s existing images as well as brand new, never released, irresistibly adorable images! All stamps sets will be available in LID's customary, but fabulous, clear stamp format and will feature sentiments designed by Laura and Ariana of Lil’ Inker Designs with ag designs done in a perfectly fun coordinating font!

There will be three stamp sets released this month and they are cute, cute, cute!

If you would like to see a few sneak peeks, visit the Lil' Inker Designs blog! The Design Team will be sharing posts every day next week, December 12th - 16th. I will have a post on Tuesday, Thursday & Friday to share what I've made for this release!

Enjoy your day!! Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies

Stamps: Verve Making a Statement, Market Street Stamps Pretty Perfect Grip

Dies: Lil' Inker Designs Rainbows

Paper: PTI & From Stash

Other: Button, Rhinestones, Twinery Twine, pop dots

Bloom

2011-12-04T13:00:00.002-06:00

Market Street Stamps is having a Block Party to celebrate their new release and I decided to play along!

The challenge was to create any card using Market Street Stamps.

I used most of the MSS that I have! I stamped the grid background & the carrots/ground from the Homegrown set with Amuse's Fern ink and the sun with Amuse Buttercup ink! Let's pause right here for a commercial break...

Amuse Inks...no I don't sell them but I bought a few with birthday money and I LOVE them so far! I bought colors that matched PTI and I love, love, love the way that the ink looks! It makes such a nice crisp image, they are gorgeous, gorgeous colors! If you need some good inks, give Amuse a try!

...commercial break over! :)

Here's a closeup. I used The Twinery's Mandarin twine to stitch the carrots. I love how they look plump and ready to pick! I also tied a strand of Denim twine around the grass to add another pop of color. The grass is cut with Amuse Sage felt (have to recommend the felt too! It is thinner than PTI's but cuts really well!) using PTI's In the Meadow die.

To create the sun, I used the Market Street Stamps Here Comes the Sun background stamp and stamped just a portion of it on my panel. It was such a perfect fit! I love how I can use the whole stamp as a background or just a part of it for smaller areas!

I hope you had a great weekend!! Thank you for coming by!

Sweet Season's Greetings

2011-12-02T10:25:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone!! Sorry it has been so quiet around here! I've been working on projects though to share with you at a later date! Today I wanted to share a card I made with the products from the last Lil' Inker Designs release.

You know how much I've enjoyed using fabric on my projects lately and this one is no exception. I cut the tree from Holly Jolly out of some fabric that I love! I cut it out twice so it would have a front and a back and also cut out a piece of Pellon Wonder-Under to adhere the two pieces together.

Here's why I did that:

The Christmas tree comes off the card and is a pin.

I sewed the pin onto the backside of the tree (very crookedly apparently!!).

I love how these trees look cut out of vellum! Such a soft, wintry feel.

Thank you for stopping by today! Keep your eyes open because Lil' Inker Designs (LID) will be having another release soon! More on that to come!

Papertrey Ink November Blog Hop

2011-11-25T06:01:00.004-06:00

Welcome to the November PTI Blog Hop!

Our challenge this month was to make a card based on this inspiration photo.

Here is the card I made based on that gorgeous photo.

I kept the focus very simple.

I loved the home spun feel from the photo and so I used the "Stitches & Swirls" set to add that homey feel into my card. Then after I stamped the leaf images, I stamped over them with one of the "Background Basics: Circles" stamps in VersaMark. LOVE how this looks! Then, I used one of the small dots from the circle set to add berries throughout the green piece.

The holly was cut out using a Lil' Inker Designs die...love that die! The letters were cut out from the PTI Block Alphabet dies and I can tell that that will be a die I use over and over and over again. It is hard to see but I used the Vineyard Impression Plate on the white background and the Linen Impression Plate on the green piece after I had finished stamping all of the elements.

Thank you for stopping by today! If you braved the crowds and went out shopping today, I hope you had a very successful trip! If you would like to see all of the other projects on this blog hop, be sure to visit Nichole's blog!

Supplies (all PTI unless noted)
Stamps: Stitches & Swirls, BB: Circles
Paper: DCWV Glitter Pack, PTI New Leaf, White
Ink: Pure Poppy, Snow White, VersaMark
Dies: PTI Block Alphabet, Pinking Shears Border, Lil' Inker Designs Holly Jolly, PTI Vineyard & Linen Impression Plate
Other: Pop Dots, Hobby Lobby Sequin Trim

Happy Birthday Scavenger Hunt

2011-11-21T06:01:00.002-06:00

Hello!! Today I have a fun idea featuring twine from The Twinery and several Lil' Inker Designs products perfect for any special day!

Last year for my son's birthday I made him go on a scavenger hunt for his birthday present. I had clues at several locations in the house and at the end of hunt, he ended up at his present. It was so much fun to create and to watch him do! I took this same idea and applied it to a tag book that the recipient could keep as a keepsake.

Warning: Lots of pictures ahead! :)

This is what the front looks like. I printed the title on vellum.

I used the Mini Pinwheel die from Lil' Inker Designs to make the pinwheel out of the papers I used on the rest of my tag book. I used The Twinery's Lilac twine to make the center and then tied the Peapod twine around the tag.

This is the first page of the booklet. Basically the idea of how this book works is that the tags would be hidden and your instructions would direct the recipient to the next tag until they reach their final destination, i.e. their gift!

Here is a sample of the clue. Under each of the clues, I added a flag die cut cut using the Lil' Inker Designs Sentiment Flags die.

I used a fun knot tying technique to make the "handles" on the tag. I have a tutorial with pictures toward the end of this post.

And here is how I used the twine to adhere the pocket for the tag to fit in. I punched tiny holes in the pocket and then used a large-eyed needle to thread the twine through.

Page two.

Page 3. Notice how I used the Lemondrop twine to adhere the pocket to the tag.

Page 4

Page 5

To accent this tag, I made a friendship bracelet and adhered it to the tag. It has a fun wavy design to it.

The last page I kept blank so that a message could be written on it. The design is very similar to the cover page of the tag book.

Now, for a quick picture tutorial on how I tied the twine on the "handle" of my tags, which is really just a simple knotting technique.

First, cut two strands of twine, fold them in half and push the loop through the front to the back of the tag.

Pull the ends from the front of the tag through the loop that you've pulled through the back.

It should look like this when you are finished.

Then knot the two strands of twine together and pull down to the base of the tag.

It looks like this.

Continue knotting the twine until you get the length you desire.

Cut the ends of the twine off to the length you prefer.

The Twinery also has some great news! Did you know that you can get, for a limited time only, two of the holiday packs of twine in a sampler's pack! If you wanted to sample some of this gorgeous twine, this is the perfect way to get great holiday colors at a great price ($5!!!)! Here's one of the sampler packs that is available!

Merry & Bright Sampler Pack

Thank you for stopping by today! I hope you enjoyed this idea!

Supplies

Twine: The Twinery

Dies: Pinwheel & Sentiment Flags Dies by Lil' Inker Designs, Tag Sale #3 Die by Papertrey Ink

Paper: Country Drive by Echo Park Paper, Vellum, 2008 Bitty Box Basics Papertrey Ink

Cardstock: Hawaiian Shores, Pure Poppy, New Leaf, Smokey Shadow, Harvest Gold, Lemon Tart, Raspberry Fizz, Hibiscus Burst, Orange Zest & Spring Rain by Papertrey Ink

Other: Sizzix Embossing Folder, Cane Print & Vineyard Impression Plate PTI, Dot Spot Stamp Set PTI